Pet Safety / Compounds / R-123 (HCFC-123 / 2,2-Dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane)

Is R-123 (HCFC-123 / 2,2-Dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane) safe for dogs and cats?

Moderate risk for pets

Hepatotoxic potential applies to dogs.

What is r-123 (hcfc-123 / 2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane)?

Also known as: NS00125713.

CAS number
306-83-2
Molecular formula
C2HCl2F3
Molecular weight
152.93 g/mol
SMILES
CCC1C(C(C(C(=O)C(CC(C(C(C(C(C(=O)O1)C)OC2CC(C(C(O2)C)O)(C)OC)C)OC3C(C(CC(O3)C)N(C)C)O)(C)O)C)C)O)(C)O.C(C(C(C(C(C(=O)O)O)O)O)O)O
PubChem CID
9360

Risk for dogs

Moderate risk

Hepatotoxic potential applies to dogs.

Risk for cats

Moderate risk

Cats metabolize chlorinated compounds differently — potentially higher sensitivity.

Regulatory consensus

4 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified R-123 (HCFC-123 / 2,2-Dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
MONTREAL PROTOCOL—HCFC — Phase-out: production ban 2020 (developed), 2030 (developing). Service use allowed from existing stocks
EPA SNAP—Acceptable in centrifugal chillers with use conditions (requires room ventilation, monitoring)
ASHRAE 34—B1 — higher toxicity, non-flammable
OSHA PEL—Not established — manufacturer AEL 50 ppm (8h TWA)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where pets encounter r-123 (hcfc-123 / 2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane)

  • Commercial Chillers — Large centrifugal chillers in commercial buildings, hospitals, universities
  • Fire Suppression — Some fire suppression applications
  • Solvent — Electronics cleaning and degreasing (historical)

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to R-123 (HCFC-123 / 2,2-Dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane):

  • R-1234ze(E)
    Trade-offs: Removes 95-99% of dissolved contaminants including metals, PFAS, nitrates; wastes 2-4 gallons per gallon produced (improving with newer systems); removes beneficial minerals; $0.05-0.25/gallon; requires pre-treatment for longevity.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • R-514A
    Trade-offs: Removes 95-99% of dissolved contaminants including metals, PFAS, nitrates; wastes 2-4 gallons per gallon produced (improving with newer systems); removes beneficial minerals; $0.05-0.25/gallon; requires pre-treatment for longevity.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • R-1233zd(E)
    Trade-offs: Direct chemical substitution requires verification that the replacement does not introduce new hazards (regrettable substitution). Conduct full hazard assessment of proposed alternative before adoption.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

Is r-123 (hcfc-123 / 2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane) safe for pets?

Hepatotoxic potential applies to dogs.

What products contain r-123 (hcfc-123 / 2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane)?

R-123 (HCFC-123 / 2,2-Dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane) appears in: Large centrifugal chillers in commercial buildings, hospitals, universities (Commercial Chillers); Some fire suppression applications (Fire Suppression); Electronics cleaning and degreasing (historical) (Solvent).

Why do regulators disagree about r-123 (hcfc-123 / 2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane)?

R-123 (HCFC-123 / 2,2-Dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane) has been classified by 4 agencies including MONTREAL PROTOCOL, EPA SNAP, ASHRAE 34, OSHA PEL, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See R-123 (HCFC-123 / 2,2-Dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane) in the pets app

Look up products containing r-123 (hcfc-123 / 2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in pets View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. — expert_curation

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →